“I can’t let you die.”

  “Seems we’re in a no-win situation.” My eyes narrowed. “Guess that makes us enemies now.”

  “I’m not interested in being your friend,” he said, and I snorted.

  “You’ve always been clear on that.”

  “Doing what’s right by someone rarely means agreeing with them. But it doesn’t make you my enemy.”

  I crossed my arms, marching up to him. “If you wanted what’s best for me, you’d know that means saving Adrik.”

  He didn’t answer.

  “What kind of life am I supposed to have if he dies?”

  “A life with your family,” he said quietly. “Your children. Your mother.”

  “Don’t talk about my mother.”

  He fell silent.

  I sighed, letting some of my temper go.

  At the end of the day, Raph was right. We didn’t have to like each other to work together. At least, in one area, we wanted the same thing.

  “Milo’s dad is making a serum,” I said. “If it works, we can use it to drain Raguel long enough to leave him vulnerable so we can take him out.”

  “And what’s his weak point?” he asked.

  “I don’t fucking know everything, okay?”

  Raph’s brow lifted, and I had to remind myself again to stop taking my temper out on him.

  “I’m working on the answer,” I added, slightly calmer.

  Still, I stared at a spot on the floor and took deep, steady breaths.

  “It’s his army.”

  Surprised, I looked up. Raph’s expression was neutral but certain.

  “How do you know?”

  “Az came to see me a few days ago. You know he and Starla had been working to uncover the web of Raguel’s misdeeds for some time.” I nodded, and he continued, “He told me they learned that Raguel’s past is much like his present.”

  “What does that mean? He’s created demons before?”

  “And gotten away with it,” he said. “What you saw—his shapeshift as Starla—Az told me he used it in his last world too. Impersonated a council member to get the others to vote his mission complete. They deemed his penance fulfilled, and he was able to leave, taking his demon creations with him.”

  “You’re telling me some of his army came with him from some other world?”

  “These blue demons are a new strain. When he came here, there were others, and from them, your kind evolved until new supernatural races were born. Vampires. Banshees. Shapeshifters. Every creature once labeled “evil” or “demon-like” came from the creatures Raguel brought with him.”

  “You’re saying my ancestors come from another dimension?”

  “Yes. And Raguel brought them here illegally.”

  “And what? We weren’t good enough? So he moved on to better creations?”

  “More malleable. The previous evolutions were too strong for him to break to his will. Shapeshifters especially.”

  “Is that why he tried to wipe us out?”

  “If you’re not his puppet, you’re his enemy. He’s been learning to manipulate and control his creations for centuries.”

  “And now he can.”

  “If we don’t stop him for good, he’ll only find a way to move on to a new world where they won’t see him or his army coming.”

  “So, no sending him through a portal.”

  “Not if you want this to stop.”

  “His weakness is his army,” I repeated, understanding now. It’s the thing he cared about enough to bring with him from the last world he tried to destroy. Without his army, he had nothing. We had to get to them first.

  “But with the serum,” I began.

  “Even with a serum to weaken him, unless you can target the thing he loves most, it won’t be enough.”

  I blew out a breath. “Then we’ll just have to do both.”

  That afternoon, Emilio arrived in a motorcade that would have rivaled the damned president. “Really?” I said to Luca as the SUVs rolled to a stop inside the warehouse. The moment the last car was inside, the door began to close. “Isn’t this a bit of overkill?” I said, though it wasn’t far off from the parade Jax had put me through not long ago. What was it with alphas and their SUVs?

  “I think it’s just right considering the delivery,” Luca said.

  “I thought the idea was to not be noticed.” I snorted. “You think no one noticed this parade?”

  “Sometimes, the best disguise is the obvious.”

  I looked over as the back door of the third SUV opened and Emilio stepped out. In his hand, he held a stainless steel thermos similar to the one Z had given us, and my body tensed.

  The serum.

  He’d done it.

  I turned to Milo, who stood on my other side. He’d been uncharacteristically quiet since coming up here.

  “You want me to—”

  Milo shook his head. “I’ve got this.”

  He strode forward to meet Emilio, shoulders stiff.

  I felt for him. This couldn’t be easy.

  The two of them exchanged a few words that I decided not to eavesdrop on. Luca had no such qualms and murmured, “Good,” to whatever Emilio had just said.

  Milo and his father walked up to Luca and me.

  “We appreciate your help,” I said.

  “Anything for my son,” Emilio replied, and Milo rolled his eyes which, thankfully, his dad couldn’t see.

  “May I?” Luca held his hand out, and Emilio handed off the thermos.

  Luca uncapped it and gingerly sniffed.

  “You sure you don’t want me to do the honors,” I said, and Luca scowled, sniffing more deeply.

  “It smells safe,” he announced and called for John.

  “Of course it’s safe,” Emilio said, clearly offended, but Luca ignored him and moved away to confer with John, who would tell us if it had been brewed correctly.

  “Thank you for coming to us,” I said while we waited.

  “Like I said, anything for—”

  “If you tell anyone about this place, we’ll have to kill you,” Milo said.

  I blinked, and Emilio looked a little uncertain.

  “Milo, I think he knows how to keep a secret,” I said.

  At the word ‘secret,’ I thought of Adrik, and my chest ached.

  “Of course he does,” Milo said. “He kept his location a secret from me for years now. This shouldn’t be a problem then. Knowing I’m here, it’s the last place he’ll want to have anything to do with.”

  I winced.

  Emilio’s face flushed.

  Thankfully, Luca returned. “We’re all set. Emilio.” He held out his hand, and they shook. “My men will escort you safely home.”

  “Actually, I’d like to stay.” He looked from Luca to Milo and then to me. “If that’s all right. What you’re doing here…I’d like to be a part of it.”

  “You can’t come and go. Once you’re here—” Luca said uncertainly.

  “I won’t be able to leave,” Emilio finished for him. “I know the drill.”

  “Yes, I’ve heard your name,” Luca said. “You did some great work for the first uprising some years back.”

  Uprising.

  Wow.

  Is that what we were calling it?

  “I feel a responsibility to protect those who can’t protect themselves,” Emilio said.

  Emilio looked at Milo, who’d gone silent.

  “It’s fine by me,” Luca said with a shrug.

  The guy either didn’t get social clues or just didn’t give a shit.

  He walked off, giving me a pointed look to follow, but I couldn’t abandon Milo.

  Finally, my friend sighed. “Whatever. Just don’t follow me around. I have important shit to do.”

  “Milo,” Gran called as she buzzed in. “You done yet? We’ve got that vacant hallway soaped up and you’re next on the slip and slide. Bring your ass.”

  Milo’s face reddened.

  “Very important,” I said, straight-faced.

  Milo walked off without another word.

  I smiled at Emilio. “The cafeteria’s through that door. You’re welcome to wait there, and I’ll have Carlos find you a room.”

  “Thank you,” he said, and if you need anything else for the serum or anything, just let me know.”

  “Will do.”

  I watched him go and then hurried to join Luca and John.

  “Well? Is it what we need?” I asked.

  “It’s the first piece to the puzzle,” John said.

  “What’s next?”

  “Blood,” John said quietly. “The last ingredient to this is Nephilim blood.”

  I took the thermos John offered. “Lucky for us, I know a creature full of it.”

  But an hour later, no one had seen Raph, and my worry had gone from slight to full-blown panic.

  “Maybe he left,” Milo said, who’d shown up soapy and red and soaked through his clothes.

  He’d promised to tell me the story later, but I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. Not when Gran was involved. She’d been absent more and more since our conversation, and I was just hoping whatever she was into wasn’t a mess I’d have to clean up later.

  Hopefully, she was “finding herself.”

  “He wouldn’t leave,” I said, thinking of Raph now. “Not with Raguel looking for him.”

  “And not without telling your mom, right?” Milo said.

  Shit.

  My mom. Of course. The one person who would know where he was and how to find him.

  I hurried to her room and pushed open the door without knocking. “Mom, have you seen Raph or know where—Sweet Jesus on a cracker.”

  I shut my eyes and backed away, running into Milo and sending us both sprawling on our asses. A hand hit my ass, and I just hoped it was Milo’s because I couldn’t open my eyes to check. Not with the current blinding view I’d just witnessed.

  “Gem.” My mother’s shocked voice rang in my ears, burned into my brain just like the image of her naked would be.

  And Raph.

  The door slammed shut again, presumably by one of the naked parties.

  “Actually, I’m kind of impressed if I’m being honest,” Milo said. “Even the rumors couldn’t do that justice.”

  “Milo, if you say another word, I’ll cut your lips off,” I said, eyes still covered.

  “And I’ll help her,” Raph warned from the other side of the door.

  I heard a rustling and then footsteps. The door opened again.

  “For the love of cuss, get up,” my mother said.

  Hands grabbed at me, yanking, and I opened my eyes to see my mother forcing me to my feet. Her shirt was crooked, but it covered the important parts. Still, I kept my eyes on the floor as I helped Milo up beside me.

  “I’m dressed,” Raph called from inside the room.

  Wincing, I looked up at my mother. Behind her, Raph’s pants were on. No shirt. I kept my eyes locked firmly on my mother’s face, which was all sorts of red now.

  “We should have knocked,” I said.

  “How are you alive?” Milo blurted.

  My mother’s face flushed even more, which was kind of impressive in itself. “Raph’s exhaustion and low energy levels means he can’t hurt me if we—”

  “I’m going to throw up,” I announced.

  My mother fell silent, and I felt the awkwardness like an unwanted skin rash.

  “Did you need something?” she finally asked.

  “Raph,” I said quickly and then realized how that sounded. “His blood, I mean.” My cheeks burned with heat. “For this.”

  I held up the thermos, which I’d somehow managed to keep hold of through all of the falling over and being scarred for life.

  “I’ll meet you outside in a moment,” Raph said.

  “Perfect.” I backed away, and Milo followed.

  My mother shut the door behind us a second time, and I leaned on the wall.

  “That was not the Nephilim penis I wanted to see,” I said.

  “No, but it’s one you’ll certainly never forget,” Milo said, and I groaned while Milo laughed until he cried.

  Chapter Thirteen

  By the time Raph emerged, I still hadn’t recovered. Not that I ever would. It maybe should have made me feel better to see him looking just as awkward, but it didn’t. An embarrassed Nephilim did weird things to your faith in the Universe.

  “I take it you have the serum,” he said, eyeing the thermos I’d almost forgotten about.

  Milo snorted. “I think you’re the one with the serum, my friend.”

  “Milo, I will vomit on your shoes,” I warned.

  Raph’s face flushed, and I sent a silent prayer to any god in any world to please just disappear me.

  Unfortunately, no one was listening.

  I blinked and held out the thermos from Emilio. “We just need your blood, and the spell is ready,” I said.

  Raph didn’t answer, and Milo chuckled then gestured to a small room across the hall being used for storage.

  “Why don’t we step in here?”

  Milo led the way, and Raph and I followed.

  Inside, I uncapped the thermos, but Raph stood uncertainly.

  “Gemini.” He cleared his throat, and I knew whatever was coming would be beyond cringeworthy.

  Milo grinned. “I’ll just give you two some privacy.”

  The asshole was gone before I could find something to throw at him.

  Raph started again. “Look, your mother and I—”

  “Whoa. Nope.” I put up my hands, backing away. “Not talking about it.”

  “You should know I care about her,” he tried again.

  “Not talking about it,” I repeated, glaring now. “And if you try, I will leave.”

  “Fair enough.”

  He seemed as relieved as I was to avoid the subject.

  The door opened again, and John walked in. He looked back and forth between us uncertainly. “Am I interrupting?”

  The man didn’t understand the meaning of the word. Not like I did.

  “No, come in,” I said. “We’re about to add Raph’s blood to the serum Emilio gave us.

  “And I’d prefer to have you here to make sure she doesn’t blow us up,” Raph added.

  “Consider me bomb squad,” John said good-naturedly and gestured for us to continue.

  I blinked. Was that a possibility?

  “Do you have a blade?” Raph asked me, yanking me out of my thoughts.

  I slid my throwing knife out of my boot and handed it over. Then, I watched as Raph sliced in his palm and wrung out a shot glass worth of blood into the thermos.

  Smoke curled up and out of the mixture.

  The smell of burnt ozone made my nose wrinkle.

  “Is it supposed to smell like that?” I asked.

  He gave me a look that said I should know better than to ask.

  “This cocktail contains some of the world’s most powerful ingredients,” Raph said, wrapping a handkerchief around his hand and replacing the cap on the thermos. “It has the stability of C-4.”

  Whoa. Now the bomb thing made sense.

  I eyed the thermos with renewed respect. “I guess that’s not crazy. We’ve officially put Nephilim blood, sweat, & tears into this thing.”

  Raph looked up at me, startled. “Not tears.”

  “What?”

  But he didn’t answer, avoiding my eyes as he removed the fabric from his hand. The wound had already closed. An angry pink line remained, and I knew that was evidence of his low life force energy. Otherwise, there’d be no trace.

  “I promised your mother I’d bring her some breakfast.”

  He didn’t wait for my answer before he strode out.

  When we were alone, John walked over. He held out his hand for the thermos. “May I?”

  I handed it gingerly to him, a little relieved not to be responsible for such an unstable substance.

  “What was that all about?” I asked. “With the tears? Did I say something wrong?”

  John gave me a knowing look. “You startled him.”

  “Why?”

  “Remember what I said about Nephilim and their secrets?”

  “Yeah.”

  “They don’t like to discuss the idea of them crying.”

  “That was a secret?”

  “Tears are the ultimate elixir. There’s nothing more powerful on Earth or in Heaven.”

  “What about the Big Guy Himself?” I asked.

  John smiled. “Maybe, but word is He doesn’t cry.”

  “Huh. Nephilim tears.” I studied him curiously. “How do you know?”

  “Because I was on my way to being one of Raguel’s pets until someone very special brought me back using Nephilim tears.”

  “Wow. You were almost a blue demon?”

  There it was again. The hint of a lover.

  Not Starla, obviously.

  Then who?

  But rather than get nosy about his personal life, my brain was already racing on ahead about my own problems.

  “Will Nephilim tears also heal another Nephilim who’s been drained?”

  “If the emotion behind those tears is strong enough, I’d venture to say they can cure anything.”

  My heart pounded in renewed hope.

  “I have to find Raph.”

  I ran out and then stopped short before almost slamming into Raph himself.

  He stood just outside the door, a resigned look on his shadowed face.

  “You knew,” I said, anger rising in place of my excitement. “All this time, you knew your tears could help him, and you didn’t tell me.”

  “Everything is so black and white to you.”

  He sounded tired. Exhausted. Like it went all the way through and into his bones.

  I growled. “You are capable of healing Adrik, and you choose not to. What’s complicated about that?”

  He sighed.

  John stepped into the open doorway, joining us. His expression was soft. Understanding. Like he knew something I didn’t.

  “Nephilim can’t cry,” he explained.

  “Can’t or won’t?” I accused.

  “Does it matter?” Raph asked.

  “It matters,” I told him in a low voice.

  “Gem, try to calm down.”

  Milo’s voice was soothing. Or supposed to be. He walked up and stood on my other side, and I could tell from the angling of his body that he was ready to jump between me and Raph. But I couldn’t make myself step back.